Revelations and Requited Love
by Phoenixfyretail
Summary: Gilan wakes to his female apprentice's scream from a nightmare about a past he never before knew. But as the feelings run high, will new things become known? From the past and the now? Brief mention of everyone's favorite Grumpy Ranger. Gilan x OC: takes place after Nihon Ja. Rated T: Slight Sexual content, mentions of rape, blood, death and slight mentions of Gore.


Gilan awake abruptly to a piercing scream, the sound of blankets rustling as she sat up and gasped for breath, and a hand slapping over a mouth. He scrambled out of bed, pulling on a loose shirt over his bare chest, hastily adjusting his sleeping trousers. He stepped into Faelan's room, and started at the scene in the darkness of the room, illuminated by only the faint light of the moon through the window. She was sitting up in bed, the covers in complete disarray around her, and her shoulders were exposed by the low neckline of her shirt.

Her mismatched eyes were wide, and she was breathing rapidly, almost hyperventilating. She was panicking. He immediately went to her side, and he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Faelan?" She jerked away from his touch, and scrambled out of bed, running out the door. He ran after her, wondering how on earth she was running so fast while so disoriented, and in front of the fire place, he caught her wrist.

"Faelan!" He pulled her to him by her wrist, pulling her into his chest, and then he held her close, refusing to let her go. She struggled against him, breath wild, but she made no noise. He held her close, and she slowly began to calm down, her breathing evening out. Faelan sank against him, and slowly her arms went around his waist. He got the sinking feeling that she hadn't had a real hug in many years, and so he gladly held her closer.

His strong arms, corded muscle from years of sword training and the pull weight of his longbow, were wrapped securely around his shoulders and back, one hand cupping the back of her head, his nose turned to nuzzle her hair. The black length, still tucked in a braid, was soft and smelled pleasant; water, grass, and forest.

Her arms were tight around his back, hands fisted in his loose white shirt, and her face was tucked in the crook of his neck. Faelan was tall for a woman, as she was nearly as tall as he was, something Halt found no amusement from, though he and Will had had a good chuckle or two over the grizzled ranger's grumpiness about it.

"Gilan... I'm sorry." She mumbled in her soft voice, carrying a slight burr of an accent, breath hot against his neck.

He shook his head, smiling slightly, as he had known she would apologize for showing any sort of weakness, as she called it. He smoothed a hand down her back and sank down to the floor, and she gave no resistance, dropping down with him. He leaned against a comfortable chair, and spread his legs around her, knees bent to accommodate her lean form. She curled up against his shoulder, hands against his slightly exposed chest.

"You have no need to be sorry. It's alright." He murmured to her, lips by her ear. He felt her shudder as his breath ghosted over her neck.

He glanced up and saw that the fire was still going, even though it was mostly coals now.

"Faelan? What is it that's haunting you?" He asked quietly, and she stiffened at the question. He realized he only knew that her past was dark, but knew nothing of her family, history, or anything about her life before she became his apprentice.

"Please... don't make me..." she whispered. And his brows furrowed, but he refused to give in. He needed to know to be able to help her.

He shook his head. "Please Faelan." She sighed, but sat up a bit. Never meeting his eyes, she began to tell him her story.

"I was born in a small town just off the coast of Clonmel, and my parents were peasant farmers. Still, I ate well and was raised lovingly and to be a strong woman. I helped in the fields from the time I was old enough to lead the horses." She paused for breath, and to collect her thoughts. Gilan nodded. That would explain her riding skills.

"But then," her voice grew dark with anger, "a band of foreign warriors, I don't know who they were, they came and invaded the land. They took everything and anything they wanted. Lives, farms, food, animals, anything. They set my farm on fire, murdered my parents, and set them on fire as well. Burnt the barn to the ground. I was in the forest, in a tree, and they never knew I was there. My mother had told me to hide and not make myself known no matter what happened unless she called for me."

"Your mother saved you? She knew they were coming."

Faelan nodded. "It was only logical, as we were the last in region. After the fire eased, and I was sure they were gone, I went out and rescued the last horse from the forest, and rode out of the country as fast as I could."

Gilan tightened his arms around her, and she sighed, closing her strangely beautiful eyes, before continuing on with her tale.

"I was alone in the forest for weeks. I had only my horse, kit, and bow with a minimal supply of dried food. But I escaped, or so I thought. Just when I thought I was safe, they captured me, tried to kill me. I managed to fend them off, but they killed my horse and nearly killed me."

She paused again for breath. Gilan could see the harshness of those memories, the pain of them, in her eyes. It struck him as to how much she must trust him to tell him this. Faelan had been through more than he had known.

"I don't remember much of the next few days. Just the pain and the dried blood through my clothes. I remember passing out in the forest, and waking up in the ward hospital; bandaged, clean, and alive. Within a few weeks, I was walking around as if nothing had ever happened. But nothing ever changes the scars and pain of knowing that your parents murderers are out there somewhere."

She met his eyes and then continued.

"I had no friends at the ward. To them, I was the weird kid with the different colored eyes. A freak. So I didn't bother with them. I hid in the trees, and remade a bow and arrows for myself in my spare time. I discovered the rangers a few days before the choosing ceremony, by way of a certain grumpy ranger called Halt. He knew that I was watching him shoot out in the forest one day, and he let me. Gave me a few tips, and told me he would tell the corps about me."

She gave a soft, rare, smile at the memory. "And then I thought everything was perfect. I had a place to belong to. I slept at night. But then..."

She broke off, huddling into him. His eyes had already melted into a look of softness for her, and he held her closer. He was worried, and he knew she could tell. Faelan was good at that.

"But what?" He asked, softly.

"I was raped a few months ago. That night that I came home late. I put an arrow in him after I broke free, but he..." She broke off again, motioning with her hands. His grip tightened on her waist, and she looked up, surprised.

She saw the brimming anger in his bright eyes, could feel it tightening in his body. She stared for a moment , perplexed. Why was he so angry? There was nothing to be done about it now.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He asked, voice tight and breaking with angry tears.

"There was no point. There was nothing to be done." She answered calmly, and then her brow furrowed at the helpless look that he wore.

Slowly, as she wasn't sure if he would let her do so, as it was new, she raised her hands, bringing them up to his head. He watched her, but kept his eyes open and welcoming, and she settled her fingers in his dark blond locks, gently combing through the thick hair. He sighed, closing his eyes, and his grip loosened.

She had memories of her mother soothing her in this way when she was upset or couldn't sleep, and she thought it might work. She repeated the action, and he leaned into her palms, his face peaceful and now relaxed. His forehead dropped onto her shoulder.

"Faelan, I'm sorry... about what you have been through." she could feel the sigh he released against her shoulder after speaking. She stopped her gentle caresses, halfway cradling his head, and he leaned back enough to look at her. She was staring at him in utter surprise, blue and brown eyes wide in wonder.

"Gil... I don't know what to say... Thank you." Her voice was hesitant, but her hands resumed the gentle petting through his hair.

He leaned into her more, smiling faintly. They didn't say anything for a while, just enjoying the faint heat from the fire. Faelan didn't say anything, but when he went to pull back, wondering if he was bothering her, she went to stop him, and then caught himself, hands hovering awkwardly. He smiled full out and turned around, laying down with his head in her lap. Her hands tangled in his hair automatically, stroking through the thick curls. After a few moments of laying on the floor, he opened his eyes.

"Faelan?" She looked down at him, meeting his eyes in question.

"Yes?" Her voice was little more than a low breath.

"Stay here for a minute." He murmured, and sat up with a grunt of effort. She scooted back a bit, allowing him to stand more easily.

She nodded, and stayed in her place on the floor, and he disappeared into his room. He came back out a few minutes later, having raided the linen closet and his bed. His arms were laden with blankets and pillows, which he dropped nearby Faelan. He set about making a nest of bedding on the clean rug in front of the smoldering fire, and she helped him, shaking out folded blankets.

After making a blanket nest, she sat down on her pillow, and Gilan laid down too, his head in her lap. She looked down at him with a raised eyebrow (She spends too much time with a certain grumpy ranger) and he looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. She sighed with a soft smile, and combed her hands through his hair again, slowly starting to massage his head, paying particular attention to the various knots along his skull and neck.

He sighed in utter relaxation, and closed his eyes, and she gained more confidence, her fingers skillfully locating knots and relaxing them as she found them. His arms were relaxed at his sides, and legs sprawled out loosely too. Gilan's eyes were closed, and his head tilted back into her lap as she massaged the back of his neck, fingertips shifting his curls aside as she worked her way towards his shoulders.

She continued, beginning to loosen the tension in Gilan's shoulders, and muscles along his upper arms. Gilan was actually very well built, he was just seemingly lanky. His abs were hard and well defined, the same went for his chest. She leaned over him a bit to work on his chest a bit, and her hair came loose, and pooled on his chest. His eyes opened in interest at the touch, and he lifted hand, fingering the long strands.

She froze, watching him with curious eyes, and his bright green eyes met her mismatched ones. Gilan's hand, long fingered and slender, brushed through the long black hair that was pooling on his chest, though it was still partially braided. He sat up, and she let him, watching as he turned himself towards her.

"I've never seen your hair loose. I just realized that." she looked at him, and she realized that his hands were undoing the braid that was still half done in her hair, fingers combing through the plait. She let him, eyes half closed, and when her hair swished free, he took an audible inhale of breath, watching as she revealed someone new within herself.

Instead of looking serious and slightly intimidating, as she did when her hair was slicked back in a braid, her black hair gently framed her face, bringing out the dip of her cheekbones, and the cream color of her skin. There were soft freckles across her nose and cheeks, and her blue and brown eyes were beautiful, alive in the firelight.

"You're beautiful." he breathed, still staring in utter shock at the woman in front of him. Her hair was long too, reaching her hips easily. He brushed back a strand that was in her face, and to his surprise, she blushed when he tucked the strand behind her ear. He didn't move his hand, and she looked at him curiously.

"Can I try something?" He asked, eyes never leaving hers.

"Yes." her voice was soft, and her eyes met his, the blush easing a bit. He brought his other hand up and his calloused palms cupped her face, fingertips splayed in her loose, dark hair. She closed her eyes, and he leaned in, eyes half closed. Her lips brushed his, and Gilan firmly pressed his lips to hers, green eyes slipping closed. She slowly shifted closer to him, her arms going around his chest and neck, fingers tangling in his blond curls.

They parted for air, and lips collided together again, this time; his arms wrapped around her waist, and his other hand tangled in her hair. His lips parted against hers, and she gasped in surprise when his tongue slipped along hers. She tentatively moved hers against his, and he smiled into the kiss, before gently pulling her body against his, Faelan now sitting on his lap.

He pulled a bit on her hair, experimenting, and she gave a little whine into the kiss, fingers clawing into his back. Gilan growled into her mouth, slipping the hand that had been on her back up her shirt, around to her front, and over her taut abdomen, coming up to cup the soft mound of her left breast. It was firm, and settled well into his palm, and she arched into the touch, a wanton moan emanating from her lips, causing him to grin devilishly. But with a last squeeze to the softness in his hand, he pulled away.

She looked up at him, and smiled, a full blown smile, though there was the flush of arousal on her cheeks and a glint in her eyes. He smiled back, knowing the rare expression was from the requited attraction. He held her close for another second, and then laid down again, this time, beckoning her to come with him.

"I just want to sleep and hold you, Fae, I promise." He kept his voice low, as he knew she hated loud talkers. She nodded, laying down beside his long frame, and he found that she was perfect to curl up to. His arm looped around her waist, and his hips tucked up behind her comfortably. She sighed and relaxed visibly, scooting back a bit more, so her back was pressed snugly against his chest. Gilan sighed into Faelan's hair, and closed his eyes, relaxing down into a deep sleep.


End file.
